The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1887-08-14
LOUISIANA A6ADiANS.


A Primitive feopie UncnenBoo " INV
grsss OF Two Centuries
Back from that great highway. the
Mississippi, there are innumersble
smaller streams, called bayous In this
section, which fertilizc an immense ex-
panse Of prsirie in Western Louisiana
itis an idyllic region; there are myfiads
Of tropical flowers spangling the beau
tiful plains Of Opelousas and Altakapas,
whose long grasses sway and change
color with every passing breeze, tns
bayous and little lakes CLEAN like sii-
yer in the sunshine, their islands
marked with huge live oaks and VEN
cradle cypress trees Enthusiastically gar
landed with Spanish moss Multitudes
of brilliant birds add to the beauty OF
the scene; the qtiict bayous arc often
stirred by the swift canoe Of the sports-
man in search Of the wild fowl with
which this section abounda II Is
land beloved OF artist and poet; IL is the
country Of Longfellow's "Evsngeline.
Along the numerous wator courses
where steamboats, are never seem where
railroads are unknown. the exiled AGA
dams are found in all their primitive
simplicity, retaining almost unchanged
the language. manners. customs and
superstitions Of the French peasant Of
nearly two centuries ago. These pecu-
liar people were originally colonists
from Normandy. who settled In Nova
Scotia, bnt were driven thence, as any
one knows by the prosecutions OF thu
English. A modern historian says Oh
them: Tho Acadians were the most
interesting French colonists in Amcri-
en-, and no plea Of necessity could JUS
tify the cruelty Of tearing them away
from their homes and consigning them
to wretchcdncss and poverty"
Not for long. however. were they
doomed to wretchedness and poverty.
for In 1855 these exiles found their way
| to Louisiana, where they made for
tunate exchange in the sunny cline
and fertile plains they peopled for the
bleak land they had left behind them
A souvenir Of their former home. the
province Of Acadie, has chung to them
In their name. although they do moi
call themselves Acadians, but Gre
olcs Francois"
The Americana, and even the Gre
oles, have corrupted the name Acadiar
into .-Caiun," which term these people
resent strongly, yet as "Cajuns" the,
are known all over the State. They
are, in fact. Creoles, being the do
scendants of French parents born In
French colony, but they are an entire
ly distinct people from all other popu
lations Of Gallo descent in Louisiana
They still retain marked character
istics Of their Norman origin, as unlike
the French people Of more southern
provinces as II they were indeed OF sep
srate race. Those Acadians who wer'
of an upper class have long been ANAL
gamated through intermarriage or as
sociation with other Creoles Of tn
State; but the great body Of these PEG
pie have kept to themselves, and ar
now, as we said before, as primitive II
their ideas and customs ms when the.
irst set foot In the New World, al
though many traits Of the Normal
peasahtry. which they still possess
have been modified by climate and cir
Umstances.
They have remained purely Frcnc'
md without Spanish admixturc, as i
: the case with other Crcoles. They ar
| m Independent, hardy, athletic race
| entirely content with their own lot i
life. being sufficient unto thcmsclve
and having little interest in the outsid
world. Their tastes are simple an
Dearly all their wants arc supple
from their own industries. They ar
chiefly an agricultural and stock-rsi'
i. ing population. and for this reason tn
, samilies-though each from It's ow
large proportions is little colony !
i, :tself-do not live very near togethel
: but are scattered broadcast over tn
, bosom Of the prairies.-M o. Cor. Sc
!, Francisco ChVOuicle.